The Untold Story
by geekychic250127
Summary: Stowed away aboard the Black Pearl, Katarina Sinclair is discovered by Jack Sparrow and his crew whilst on her quest to find her long-lost father after the death of her beloved mother. As time passed, the young girl began to accept the person she had become: a pirate. But what happens when she learns that her captain was responsible for her father's death? AU to Dead Man's Chest
1. Bedtime Stories

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of the Pirates of the Caribbean, only the original characters created in the story.**

"Tell me a story, Mama," a young girl whispered in bed.

The mother smiled down at her daughter. The sky was filled with a nostalgic pink hue as the distant sun sets beneath the seas untamed waters. Ships were passing in the distance; to the naked eye, no one could tell whether they were navy or pirate. But knowing the infamous ports of Nassau, they were likely to be of the more nefarious sorts.

"Which story do you want to hear, _mi hija_," the woman said, lighting a candle on the girl's bedside, watching the light soak away on the white beaches of the Caribbean. She spoke with a distinctive Spanish accent, one not from the homelands but from the distant colonies.

"The one about my father," the child said. "The one about the pirates."

The mother grinned softly. "You never tire of hearing it, do you, child?"

The girl sat anxiously on her bed. Her blue eyes perked up with delight as they trailed her mother's footsteps to the wooden chairs.

"Where to begin," the woman sighed, digging back into her memories.

The girl straightened out her back and sat up, giving her mother her full attention, an uncommon feat by the young child.

"Your father was a loving man," the mother began. "Full of passion. It was no wonder that I fell in love with him the minute I laid eyes on him. He was in the marketplace buying maps for the faraway lands, places I've never heard of. That man, he was so focused on buying his maps that he never noticed that I had pickpocketed his watch."

The girl giggled. She couldn't imagine the sight of her mother stealing anything from anyone, let alone her father.

"What did he do when he found out," the girl inquired.

"He was furious," the mother chuckled. "He demanded to know who could've possibly stolen his pocket watch under his nose."

"And what happened next?" the children smiled. She loved this part.

"I stood up and said, 'It was me, sir.' And your father turned to me," the mother said, "And whispered in my ears. 'Keep it,' he said. ''Tis an honor to have me watch stolen by a beautiful maiden.'"

The blue-eyed girl giggled uncontrollably, throwing her bed sheets in a cluttered bundle. Her mother smiled, stroking with her finger the bronzed pocket watch that she had kept by her side all those years.

"Of course, that wasn't the last time we saw each other," the woman continued. "I learned that your father was staying in town for a while so we met several times after that. I showed him around town and he showed me the ship that he sailed. I remember it so well."

"The Black Pearl," the woman mused. "The fastest pirate ship in the Caribbean."

"So father was a pirate," the girl smiled.

"Indeed he was," the mother said. "A ruthless man to his crew and his enemies. But not to me."

"One day," her mother's voice dropped. "His crewmen were captured by the royal navy. He and his shipmates were locked in the prison, awaiting the gallows the next morning."

"But they never got there," the girl interjected.

"Right," the woman continued, stroking her daughters' long locks of chestnut brown hair. "Because I was there to save them."

"I love this part," the girl whispered to herself, listening intently.

"Late at night, I snuck into the prison where your father was," the mother said in a low voice. "And I freed his entire crew. His captain, his friends, the cabin boy. They all walked free."

"What happened next?"

The mother frowned. "You have to understand, _mi hija_. They were pirates. And some pirates are bad men. They pillaged the city, raiding the marketplaces in their daring escape."

The girl tried to appear shocked but she couldn't feign disinterest or disdain. She wasn't frightened; she was excited. The daughter couldn't quite understand why she felt this way.

"They had to leave as soon as they had to. But not before I had one last moment with your father."

The mother stared out into the window, watching the colors of night spreading into the skies, the same color as the mast of the ship that carried away her one and only love.

"'Velma,' he said. 'I have to go. Me crew need me.' I told him I understood, but I didn't. I just wanted him to stay with me at Port Nassau, but I knew that was impossible. There was no hope for us being together, not for a pirate and a seamstress. But I never did forget about him."

The girl sighed. It was irrational, she knew, to hear one story over and over again. The story of a pirate and a young girl and the love they shared. But there was something about the story; every time she heard it, she could feel herself drawn closer to her missing father, the one person she had loved beyond bounds but never met.

"Could you tell it again," the girl smiled.

"Katarina," the mother rustled. "It's time for bed. Go to sleep, child."

Katarina tucked herself into the creaking bed, happily reminiscing about the story she had just heard. The girl was so invoked by her mother's story that she had almost forgotten to ask. Almost.

"Mama," the daughter perked, as her mother almost stepped out the door. "What was father's name?"

Her mother sighed. Katarina knew that asking her mother to speak her father's name out loud was reopening wounds of the past, but she could never help herself. She had to hear it from her mouth, just one last time.

"Barbossa," her mother smiled with melancholy, "Hector Barbossa. Now get some sleep or you'll be tired for school tomorrow."

Her mother blew out the candlelight and left her lovely daughter alone with her dreams of swashbuckling pirates and daring adventures. Katarina lay in her bed quietly, staring out at the stars shining above her, thinking about her father, wondering if he was looking up and seeing the same stars at the very moment.

"I'm gonna meet you someday," Katarina whispered to the winds. "I promise."


	2. Fifteen Years Later

Katarina Sinclair sat on a bar stool in Tortuga, watching indifferently as masses of drunken men and women surrounded her with noise, debaucheries, and drinks. Normally, she would revel in celebration, possibly even join them in their unrestrained happiness, but she was in a foul mood that no amount of alcohol could temper.

"Bad day?" the bartender asked politely, seeing as how she was the only person in the entire establishment to make out a complete sentence.

"You have no idea," Katarina exasperated, taking another sip from her drink.

The bartender stared at the curious girl. She was strikingly beautiful, with deep blue eyes paired with Caribbean olive skin and cascading chestnut curls. By her looks, he would've never have expected the like of her to end up in Tortuga with the rest of these pirates.

"Something you'd be willing to share?" the young man smiled sympathetically as he cleaned up after some drunken slobs passed out along the counter.

Katarina pursed her lips. Where to begin? On the account of the many bad days she had, that day didn't even rank. But Katarina's determination finally worn out after disappointment cause up to her that fateful day.

"My mother died," Katarina stated coldly.

The bartender's face grew solemn. "I'm sorry."

Katarina shrugged. "It's fine. It was a year ago, after all."

"Might I inquire what took her?" the bartender treaded carefully. He had experience with vulnerable women and knew that caution was highly recommended in these situations.

"She drowned," the blue-eyed girl remarked.

The bartender shivered. It was a terrible fate, knowing what awaited on the Other Side for those who die at sea. Join the crew or wander the seas as a ghost. Davy Jones was a cruel man and knowing the sea captain's reputation, the bartender was pleased with neither option.

"What of your father?" the boy asked.

"Pirate," Katarina said, looking down at her drink. "Been chasing rumors about him across the world."

"And?"

"Some say he's retired in Singapore," Katarina sighed, "Others swore they saw him captaining a ghost ship. But I don't know what to believe anymore."

Katarina had been searching for her father for the past year, starting with the day her mother passed away. Without second thought, she stowed upon a merchant ship to Port Royal and never looked back. Not that she never loved her mother: Katarina cared for her dearly. But there was nothing left for her back at Nassau with her mother dead.

"Did you ever meet him as a child?"

Katarina shook her head. "I've only heard stories. Memories of his time with my mum."

The bar was incessantly loud, diverting her mind from the many thoughts she had. A distraction the young woman clearly needed. After all, how was she to find the true Hector Barbossa if she had never laid eyes on him in the first place? A difficult task, indeed.

"What sort of stories, ma'am," the boy asked.

Katarina thought back to her mother's soothing voice as she imparted the bedtime stories she held so dear. "Tall tales. Ones about love and ruthless pirates and a ship called the Black Pearl."

"Black Pearl?" the bartender perked. "That be the fastest ship in the Caribbean, eh?"

"Aye," Katarina nodded. "The one with black sails."

"Why, that ship made port here an hour ago," the boy said, gesturing towards the windows at the docks. "Saw it with me own eyes."

"What?" Katarina stood up, eyes widening.

Things were suddenly starting to look better. A wide grin spread across the young girl's face. _It suited her more to smile_, the bartender decided as he watched the girl dig out a few silver pieces to pay for her drink.

"Thank you," she said before rushing off.

The bartender smiled. Women like that don't come by so often. It was a breath of fresh air from the wenches and prostitutes he's seen over the years. He kicked himself for not pursuing the lass further.

_But if she's looking for the Pearl_, the boy convinced himself. _She must be mad. Mad as its captain, that one, to be seeking out a ghost ship. Best to steer clear of the likes of her._

* * *

The Black Pearl. A beautiful name for a beautiful ship. When Katarina first laid eyes upon the mighty black vessel, she could hardly glance away. The sails and mast blended so well into the night sky like a coat of black paint against the sea.

The young woman stood alone on the abandoned pier, eyeing the ship like a prized possession. The wooden boards creaked with every step Katarina took closer to the Pearl. She had been searching for the past year and today had been the watermark of her quest. Katarina had found it. She finally found the ship her father sailed. He was so close she could taste it.

_What if my father was in Tortuga right now?_ Katarina smiled to herself.

She stroked the edge of the ship. Her mind pondered a plan, one to do with a seagull, a shard of glass, and a case of imported sugar. But her master scheme was interrupted when Katarina heard footsteps approaching.

Katarina knew of a few pirates and none of them were too keen on anyone getting handsy with their ship. She either had to confront the pirates head on or face the possibility of never finding her father. In the heat of the moment, she chose neither. With the footsteps drawing closer and closer, Katarina grabbed the rope and climbed aboard the ship.

Drunken laughter echoed the empty docks. That was enough distraction for the young woman to sneak below decks into the cargo hold, safe from prying eyes at the moment.

"Where be the captain," a male voice slurred as he stepped onto the top deck.

"He's in his quarters," another voice answered, "Asleep, I reckon."

"Best not disturb him," the voice replied, the first mate most likely, "We all know how he's like with a speck too much rum."

The crew muttered in agreement.

Katarina buried herself underneath the barrels of gunpowder and rum, hoping that the crew would simply fall asleep. No such luck. The Black Pearl pushed off port, leaving any sense of escape behind as the crew and their stowaway headed out to open sea.

The young woman sighed as her head bobbed with the waves. _At least I brought a sword_, she kept reminding herself, but she surely knew that would do no good. They were pirates. She was a poor seamstress's daughter.


	3. Welcome to the Black Pearl

Katarina had spent a whole day on the ship undetected before the crew discovered her. She fed off scraps of bread found in the crates and hide beneath the wooden barrels when sailors found themselves in the brig. But the next day, Katarina's luck ran out. In hindsight, it was rather daft to hide behind the rum, seeing as how eager pirates sought it out in the first place. It was a miracle she wasn't discovered the first day aboard.

She had long forgotten at what time she fell asleep. She only knew of the manner of which she had awakened. A splash of water hit her face, dragging her sharply from the land of dreams. Her eyes snapped open as a pair of dirty hands lifted her up at her shoulders.

"What are you doing aboard the ship?" a voice demanded.

Katarina blinked stray water droplets away from her eyes. The man was a stout figure with a mutton-chop beard and a stench of alcohol following around wherever he walked.

"Um," Katarina befuddled. "Cargo inspection?"

The man gritted his teeth. He grabbed the young woman by her arm and dragged her to the surface. The bright glares of the sun spat down on her once she reached the pirate-infested decks of the Black Pearl.

Katarina earned the curious looks from every man aboard the ship. _It was a woman_, they most likely thought. _A woman aboard our ship_.

"A stowaway," the man stated. "Right beneath our noses."

Katarina sighed. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would be discovered. She had clung onto the hope that she would remain undetected until their next port. But with twenty or so pairs of eyes pinned on her, it seemed unlikely.

The crew muttered amongst themselves. Katarina stood there, still as a statue. These didn't look like the merciless pillagers that her mother told her about, but she wasn't hasty to judge. They could still easily take her in a battle of brute.

"What are we to do, Gibbs?" a boy asked Katarina's captor.

"Not sure, Ricky," the man named Gibbs replied. "I'd never had dealt with a stowaway, much less a woman stowaway."

"What be Jack's say in this?" a slightly shorter pirate piped up.

"The captain's still asleep," another sailor replied. "Unless you wish to wake him up."

The entire crew shook their heads. The short man and Ricky argued over making "the wench" walk the plank. A couple of others were eyeing her with some looks Katarina would prefer not to describe. A parrot, curiously, squawked at her and said "Lock her in the brigs."

"Did that parrot just tell them to lock me up?" Katarina asked the pirate still tightly gripping her arm.

Ignoring her, Gibbs muttered some nonsense about bad luck and a woman aboard his ship. While the shipmates argued amongst themselves, Katarina thought up a plan. She had nothing concrete seeing as how she was trapped in the middle of the ocean with a ship full of pirates.

"We could sell the lass at Tripoli," a man suggested. "Make a profit."

"An extra mouth to feed," another pirate waved off. "Don't be daft, Lejon."

Lejon angrily scrunched his face. "Who are you calling daft?"

The man pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Lejon. In response, the entire crew erupted in chaos, pulling out their pistols and threatening each other. Katarina watched in awe. In a matter of minutes, everybody in the crew was turned against each other with no assistance from Katarina whatsoever. Well, not directly.

While Gibbs was busy calming the crew, Katarina used the opportunity to slip through the pirate's grip. It wasn't until the young woman was climbing to the helm of the ship did her captor realize his prisoner's escape.

"The stowaway," Gibbs exclaimed. "Stop her."

An entire crew came flooding up the stairs after her with fury like ants on a barren hill. Katarina's eyes fluttered across the floorboards, searching for anything that could hold the pirates off. Then it settled on her. The helm. She gripped the wheel with her hands, hoping for the best. With the shipmates inches away from her, she shifted the ship sharply to the right.

With such a forceful turn, the crew fell backwards on their side. Katarina pushed aside some disoriented pirates and scurried across the deck. Few followed her but many lay still on the floors of the ship.

Katarina had to make it quick. She slipped through the doors below the upper deck, temporarily safe from prying eyes. As Katarina quietly shut the door behind her, the sound of pirate raucous was muffled. It was only a matter of time before the crew found her once again.

Katarina drew her sword from its hold, ready to defend any pirate that appeared in front of those doors. Either that or face the brigs. Neither of those options seemed like a good choice.

She gripped her sword with both hands so tight that the whites of her knuckles showed against the olive skin. She had never been in a sword fight and with each passing minute, Katarina never wanted to be.

"You're holding that wrong."

Katarina let out a scream. She quickly turned around and pointed the sword at the trespassing voice. In front of her stood a man. The pirate wore thick circlets of braids and threads in his hair, with trinkets and beads trickling down his dreadlocks. His eyes were coal black with smudge around his lids, bringing out the natural darkness around his irises. If Katarina hadn't known any better, she would've assumed this man was a gypsy or a nomad, not a menacing pirate.

"I'm holding it perfectly right," Katarina contended, holding the pointy end at the man's face.

The man grinned wryly. Her hands were shaking with how heavy the sword was. She tried to keep her gaze locked onto the pirate's, but the sword was slipping out of her hands. _Damn_, she thought. _Maybe I should've taken those fencing lessons_.

As the howls of the crew grew louder, Katarina became more panicked. The pirate remained perfectly composed, amused to find the young woman so disheveled.

"What are you doing aboard my ship?" the pirate asked.

"Your ship?" Katarina blinked with surprise. "You're the captain?"

The man smiled. "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please."

Katarina remained still. At that point, Katarina truly wished she had stayed behind on the docks of Tortuga. She heard stories about this man, numerous tales about his misadventures in Singapore and his fallout with East India Trading Company. He was infamous in the pirate world, therefore ruthless. But never in a century would she have guessed that the man, the center of numerous crimes against the Crown, would look like this. _Looks can be deceiving, _Katarina reminded herself to not lose focus.

"I've heard of you," the young woman simply said, lifted her sword higher.

"Most people have," Jack Sparrow remarked.

_Cocky pirate_, she thought to herself. It struck Katarina how much trouble she truly was in. Stuck on the Black Pearl with dozens of pirates on a manhunt for her and here she was, gallivanting with one of the most nefarious pirates of the Caribbean Sea. Her mother used to always tell her that she was like a cat, leaping before looking where to leap. _If only mother could see me now._

"Stay where you are," Katarina warned. "I don't want to hurt you."

Jack stayed silent for a few seconds, his eyes dead set on the girl in front of him. Katarina, resolute to staying alive, stood firmly in what she now discovered to be the captain's quarters. She was running out of time and ideas.

Captain Sparrow eyed the girl up and down. _Young, _he thought. _Cheeky. And not unattractive_. Jack found it surprising that this girl could hide away in the Pearl for over a day without detection. But regardless, she stood no match. Both Jack and Katarina knew that she would easily lose in a swordfight with any pirate aboard this ship, so why was she still standing in front of him with a sword pointed at his cheek? She was either very stupid or very brave. Jack decided to test that.

"Honestly, love," the pirate captain said, "If you want to threaten a man, use a pistol."

Katarina widened her eyes. "What?"

The man held out his rusty firearm with the trigger facing her. "Here, by all means, take mine."

She stood there, staring at the butt of his gun. _What in blazes is this man doing?_ Katarina thought. They stood there in a deadlock as the crew outside was running amuck searching for the stowaway. Katarina feigned composure but inside, her mind was in turmoil. Then it occurred to her. Jack was calling her bluff.

The young woman lightly snatched the pistol from the pirate's dirtied hands, examining it close. _Two could play this game, Sparrow_, she thought to herself as she held the pistol at gunpoint. The man chuckled.

"As my dying wish," Jack taunted, "I do want to know your business aboard my ship."

"Why should I tell you?" Katarina asked.

Jack smirked. "It'd be too cruel, denying a man his last desire before shooting him dead. Wouldn't you agree?"

_He's playing me_, Katarina thought. _Clever pirate. _

For a while, the two were too involved in their own game of cat and mouse to realize that the deck had gone utterly silent. Katarina, finding this strikingly odd for a group of single-minded pirates, glanced up at the roof of the quarter, hearing the man named Gibbs talking to another.

"We're in deep trouble now," his muffled voice said.

"Fetch the captain," another younger voice replied.

Before Katarina had the proper time to react, the bearded pirate came rushing into Jack's quarters, his eyes wild with trepidation.

"Captain," Gibbs said, taking no notice of the stowaway in his midst, "The Royal Navy. They found us."

Jack smiled in a dry manner. "It's high time our good friend the commodore paid us a visit."

Katarina cautiously followed the pair out of the doors. Gibbs, still ignoring Katarina, figured his attention on the horizon. In the close distance, above the blazing sunlight, was a lone British navy ship gaining speed towards the Black Pearl.

"Can we outrun them?" Jack asked his first mate.

"It's hard to say," Gibbs replied. "It seems unlikely, sir."

Katarina wasn't too keen on confronting authority, being the daughter of a pirate and the stowaway of an infamous pirate ship. And worse, the newly instated commodore had a reputation with pirates and his success with their captures. She liked her odds better with the pirates than with Commodore Norrington.

The pirate captain turned to Katarina with playful dark eyes. "Keep the pistol, love. You're going to need it."


	4. Fight or Die

"What do you mean?" Katarina exclaimed in panic. "This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean. Just turn the rudder and run away."

The young woman followed Gibbs and the captain up the decks, her fingers carefully laced around the pistol in case any thoughts of treachery could emerge. But with the impending threat of the Royal Navy, few even acknowledged her presence.

Gibbs shook his head. "Even if we could, we'd be sitting ducks. The navy is already upon us. The only way out is to fight."

The young woman glanced towards the horizon where the Royal Navy drove onwards to claim their prize. Katarina hadn't much faith in the crew of pirates. The captain was a reckless flirt, the first mate was drunk, or at the very least tipsy, and the rest of the crew was still hungover from last night. How could they expect to outwit the top naval fleet of Great Britain?

"You still haven't told me your name."

Katarina looked up. The flippant captain smiled down at her like the incorrigible Cheshire Cat. Everyone else on the ship was panicking at the sight of their enemies, but not he. Jack calmly paced around his ship, even had the time to banter with the only female aboard. No matter the dire situation, Katarina couldn't deny how charming she found Jack Sparrow.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about your ship?" Katarina remarked stiffly, attempting to appear nonchalant.

"At the moment, I'm more intrigued," the captain grinned, swaggering down the decks, his eyes glued on the girl, "By you."

The young woman frowned. "But I'm nobody." _Just a seamstress's daughter, _she added.

"If anyone ever told you that," Jack said, "Then I'm afraid they have done you a terrible misdeed."

Katarina remained silent. The man chuckled to himself.

"Fair enough. You don't like chitchat," Jack smiled, as he slipped something into the girl's hands. "Best of luck to you, Miss Whatever-Your-Name-Is."

Like that, the captain left, leaving the young woman standing by herself.

Katarina opened her palm. Six steel bullets perfectly shaped for the captain's pistols. She wasted no time slipping one pellet after the other into the rusted pistol, watching carefully as the naval ship drew closer and closer. It took Katarina three tries before she managed to clamp the back of the gun to the end, and two tries more before she fully cocked the gun.

More than anything, Katarina had wished she'd stayed on the docks.

Katarina watched helplessly as the crewmates lined up the cannons and scurried across the decks, exchanging pistols and effects. Gibbs took a long gulp from his flask before cocking his pistol, awaiting the doomed ship's arrival.

"Ready at the guns," the captain exclaimed from the top of the decks.

Crewmen steadied their pistols and cannons. The naval ship was so close that Katarina would make out the muskets from the men. Angry British soldiers were lined up against the rails of their clean-cut mast, gripping guns against their identical redcoat uniforms. At their helm, a young man not much older than thirty (Commodore Norrington, most likely) flashed the Black Pearl a calculated glare before giving orders to his men to ready their guns. In an instant, the men were taking aim at the ship. Katarina heard her heart stop beating as she awaited the inevitable shots.

"You may want to cover your ears."

Without hesitation, Katarina obeyed Jack's orders. The last thing she heard before the ear-splitting racket of the cannons was the captain yelling "fire" and all hell breaking loose.

Floorboards and pieces of wood flew everywhere. The spirit of the Black Pearl had erupted into flames as each crewmen transformed from a helpless drunk to a feared pirate. Bullets were flying across the rails. Jack, without his pistol, lifted one from one of his shipmates' and began firing at the naval ship with dead accurate aim. The ship spat out cannonballs at the surprised British naval ship with fury. Katarina found herself misplaced in a sea full of gunpowder and angry men.

"Are you mad?" Gibbs screamed over the cannon fires, "Use the damn pistol."

Katarina examined the gun she held in her hand. She had never used such a thing in her life and she wasn't too keen on using one now. But the look in Gibbs' eyes was simple: fight or die.

_Still excited to meet pirates, lass?_ Katarina scolded her five-year-old self, holding up the pistol.

Katarina pulled the trigger as many times as she could and still failed to launch any bullets into enemy camp. Giving up, she assumed a more effective and defensive method, dodging any incoming cannons in sight.

The Black Pearl defended its occupants with great strength but even the legendary pirate ship couldn't withstand that many cannons from their opponents just as they couldn't withstand that many of the Pearl's. The damage to the hull of the Black Pearl appeared severe. The upper deck was wiped clean with a single blow. Tears and holes ripped through the black sails. It was a battle of which ship could fall apart the fastest and in Katarina's eyes, the Black Pearl was losing.

Out of the corner of her eye, Katarina saw a cannon being loaded directly at the staircase where she stood not ten minutes ago. There, stood a boy not much younger than her, firing bullets at the naval officers.

"Hey, watch yourself," Katarina warned the boy. With the tumultuous noise, he couldn't hear her and remained unmoved.

The cannonball was loaded into the cannon and mere whispers away from taking the boy's life.

"Bloody pirates," Katarina grumbled to herself.

Leaving any semblance of sanity behind, Katarina charged into the crossfire. Just as the flames breathed life into the cannon, she tackled the surprised boy to the ground and covered her ears.

Seconds later, the cannonball hurtled across their heads, wiping clean the rails of the upper deck and, thankfully, not either of their heads.

When the blasting noise of the cannons disappeared, the boy looked up. His eyes widened at Katarina, the same girl that stowed away on his ship.

"You," the boy remarked.

"You're welcome," Katarina insisted sarcastically, helping herself back on her feet.

The boy kept staring at her as Katarina picked out loose splinters from her mass of brown hair.

"Thank ye," he managed out.

Katarina flashed the boy a smile. He couldn't be more than twenty: her age. The boy was at least a good few inches taller than Katarina, with solemn gray eyes and oddly lightened blonde hair. _He must spend a lot of time outdoors_, Katarina thought. _Or on a pirate ship._

"Try being more careful next time and we'll call it square, eh?"

Several of the crewmen were injured by the cannonfire. The short man she recognized from earlier was hurt in the shoulder while the one called Lejon was crawling at his knees to his sword. It appeared as though they may go down with the ship or face the gallows. Either option was not something Katarina had in mind.

"The ship's falling apart," the girl muttered.

"Aye," the boy said, dusting fragments of the floorboard from his knees, "But them redcoats are worse off than we be, lass."

Katarina turned. He was right. The British ship was close to cinders with the number of cannonballs launched at its mass. But looking at the conditions of the men, they looked like they could take a couple more shots of the cannon. The pirates didn't look quite as well.

A golden opportunity caught Katarina's eyes. The long mast holding together the sails teetered from left to right, held together by a single speck of wood. One push and the navy would surely sink.

"Oy, lad," Katarina turned to the boy. "How good is your aim?"

The boy still in shock choked out, "Not very good, I reckon."

Katarina sighed. _Must I do everything myself_.

She held the borrowed pistol up above her face. Her fingers laced around the trigger, her hand shaking from anxiety. Was she even holding the gun the proper way? Katarina took a deep breath and hoped, for the sake of everyone on this ship, the trigger would go off.

"Please, for the love of God, work," Katarina muttered to herself.

She shut her eyes and pulled the trigger.

When she opened her eyes, the entire mass of the British ship had fallen to bits, the sails strewn across the sea, paralyzed in place. The naval officers scattered like ants on a hill. _Or chickens with their heads cut off, _Katarina corrected, finding the analogy more accurate.

Katarina noticed the man in the blue coat, the commodore, angrily assembling his men to fix the mast. It wouldn't take them long before they would catch them once again. She looked up at the helm. Of all the things that were destroyed from the cannonfire, the helm was one of the few parts of the ship untouched. There was only one way out of this mess.

Katarina rushed up the stairs and pushed the crewmen out of her way.

"Move," she demanded, pushing a mute pirate aside.

As she reached the helm, Katarina pushed the entire wheel to the right with one swift move. Before she had any idea what she was doing, she turned the entire Black Pearl away from the British vessel, letting the winds carry the ship far away from their enemies. She chuckled at the sight of the British commodore raising an angry fist at the escaping band of pirates until the astronomical speed of the ship blurred the man in a matter of minutes.

Katarina's celebratory victory ended when she heard the slight cocking of a pistol from behind her head. She looked up from her own success to find that her self-acclaim was short-lived. Though Katarina had temporarily forgotten her place on the ship, the other crewmen have not. She found herself once again surrounded by the pirates, pistols and swords threatening her.

"Not bad for someone who's never held a pistol," Jack chuckled from behind. But his jokes deflected off of Katarina with a gun pointed at the back of her head.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me," Katarina bargained. "I did just save your lives."

"Who are you?" Jack echoed his previous question. "And what are you doing aboard my ship?"

The young girl kept her hands stiffly at the helm. "My name is Katarina Sinclair. And I'm looking for my father."

Jack chuckled to himself. "And you happened onto a pirate ship? That's poor fortunes, Katarina, is it?"

"Not if my father happens to be a pirate," Katarina retorted.

"And what be this poor sob's name?" the captain joked. "Perhaps I've heard of him."

"Hector Barbossa."

In an instant, Katarina could've sworn she saw the entire crew gasp. A few even lowered their weapons.

"Barbossa's daughter," one of them muttered.

"Didn't know he had a daughter," another said.

Her words only gave her more stares from the onlookers. Katarina hadn't a clue how Jack responded to this, but judging from his silence, he wasn't nonchalant about discovering Katarina's true identity. Suddenly, the young woman felt a change of luck.

"You know my father," Katarina exclaimed to the entire crew. "Do you know where he is?"

The deck grew eerily silent.

"Captain?" Gibbs looked up to Jack.

"Last I saw of him," the voice behind her added, "Was at Isla de Muerta. We parted ways after that."

The young girl sighed. She had high hopes when she heard the Black Pearl happened into port the same day she was there. But now, seeing as how Barbossa wasn't on board, Katarina's spirits waned. Katarina now had to start her search all over again with no idea where to look.

"What do we do with the girl, now?" the short man exclaimed.

"If you don't mind," Katarina suggested, "I'd be grateful if I could hitch a ride until the next port."

Katarina couldn't tell how the captain looked since her back was turned to him, but she could say, without doubt, that the crew looked ruffled by her proposal, which was a step up from murderous. Even Gibbs, who mere minutes ago was keen on throwing Katarina overboard to remain true to his superstitions, was at odds with her choice.

"I don't see any problem with keeping her aboard," the boy Katarina saved said. Of all the crew, the boy seemed least affected by learning Katarina's birth origins. She quickly flashed him a grateful smile.

"It's the least we can do," the man named Lejon stuttered, careful not to look the girl in the eyes.

The crew nodded in agreement. In the back of her mind, Katarina couldn't help but wonder if this was because of what she said.

"What say you, captain?" Gibbs asked the captain.

Katarina slowly turned around to face Jack. His pistol was pointing directly at her forehead but his dark irises were pinned on her with great intrigue. She stood very still, carefully not to provoke him in any way, just as a lion tamer wouldn't want to irritate its captive. It felt like hours of locked eyes before Jack flashed a smile.

"She can stay," Jack grinned. "Far safer to have her than to lose her, it would seem."

Katarina let out a sigh of relief. Once again, there was a bright side to the dark spot of the day.

"But I'll be having my pistol back, if you don't mind," Jack said, holding his hand out. "Wouldn't want you blowing up any more ships today, now do we?"


	5. The Captain's Secrets

Captain Jack watched as Katarina disappeared below deck where undoubtedly one of his crewmen was showing her to their sleeping quarters. It was more than a week's journey to Tripoli, their next port, so the young woman would be hanging around longer than imagined.

_Not just any woman, _Jack thought. _Barbossa's daughter._ He never thought he'd live to see this day. Jack hadn't the faintest clue his mutinous friend even had a lover, let alone a fully-grown adult daughter. Life was full of surprises. In retrospect, he should've known. Katarina may not look much like the cruel Captain Barbossa, but her eyes. Looking into her eyes, Jack saw a reflection of his late friend.

"What are ye doing, Jack?"

The captain turned around to meet his first mate's disapproving eyes. Gibbs knew better than to accept Jack Sparrow's actions as they were: he never did something for no reason.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack feigned ignorance.

"That girl," Gibbs frowned. "She's not some salty wench you can trick, Jack. She's the daughter of Barbossa."

"Really?" Jack remarked sarcastically, "I hadn't noticed."

Gibbs continued. "Knowing Barbossa, I'd say she's got some god-awful pirate blood in her. Imagine what she'll do once she finds out that her father's dead. By yer hand, nonetheless."

"Well, if everyone would keep their mouth shut," Jack snapped, "We wouldn't need to worry about her finding out, now would we?"

Gibbs flashed Jack a concerned look. "But why even bother?"

"Mr. Gibbs," Jack glared at his first mate, "Don't you have a broken ship to fix."

"Jack.."

When his captain remained unresponsive, Gibbs shook his head and reluctantly left to examine the damage of the beloved Pearl as per Jack's command.

His first mate was absolutely right though. Jack did have an ulterior motive. But then again, it was rare for him to not have one. In contrast, this one was more personal and less sinister.

It had been about several weeks since Captain Jack left his old friend to die at the island of the cursed treasure. There was no doubt in his heart that Barbossa deserved that bullet in the heart after the mutiny he committed against him. But Jack had been so hell-bent on seeking vengeance that he lose a part of himself when he shot Barbossa in the chest and watched his life drained before his eyes. Those cold, empty eyes.

Looking into Katarina Sinclair's eyes today, Jack Sparrow didn't just see a reflection of Hector Barbossa. He saw a second chance, a chance to be forgiven. And, God so helps him, if Jack couldn't make good by his friend, then he sure as hell is going to make good by his daughter.


	6. Part of the Crew

"All hands on deck, you scalawags," Captain Jack shouted from the helm.

Katarina sat against the railing of the mended ship, watching bemused as the captain gave one order and the entire crew went into chaos. Sails were lifted once again and the deck of the ship was scrubbed to the point of shining. As a sun descended into the abyss of the open ocean, a tint of flushed red painted the endless skies into the ending of another day.

They had been sailing for two days and all too soon, Katarina knew they would be making berth at Tripoli. Though the young woman knew she had to continue her journey, she simply loved being out at sea. The breeze of the salty air running through her hair, the freedom to roam on trackless seas with only the horizon as boundaries, the adventure of living the pirate's life. Must be in her blood. The more Katarina stared out into the vast open ocean, the more she was drawn in by its allure.

"Enjoying the view?"

Katarina looked up from the horizon. Standing before her was the cabin boy, the one who she saved yesterday.

"It's nice to see you up and about again," Katarina smiled, noting the thick Irish accent she had overlooked in their previous encounters.

The cabin boy sat down next to Katarina, extending his hand. "Jezebel Ritchet," he introduced himself, "But most people just call me Ricky."

Katarina shook his hand.

It was to her surprise that Ricky approached her. Many of the shipmates were still rather uneasy around her. When Katarina asked for food or water, no one dared ignore her, but when it came night, none of them acknowledged her either. At the moment, Katarina couldn't decide whether it was their superstitions or their fear of her father. It seemed the only way to pass the time was to read.

Katarina loved reading, mostly stories about adventures at sea, but everywhere she went, she always brought with her her favorite story, one of a castaway on a deserted island. When people didn't have the time to talk to her, she would retreat into the words of her book.

Ricky nodded towards Katarina's hand. "What are ye reading there, lass?"

Katarina held up the covers of her dirtied and mattered book. "_Robinson Crusoe_. Had this copy since I was a little girl."

Ricky nodded, but the blank stares in his eyes told Katarina that he hadn't any idea what the book was about.

"So," Katarina asked, closing the pages of her favorite story and tucked it her pockets, "How does someone like you end up on a pirate ship?"

The cabin boy sighed. "Joined the Black Pearl after me mum passed away."

"I'm so sorry," Katarina said sympathetically. She, of all people, knew what it was like to lose a mother, seeing as how that is part of the reason why she's aboard the Pearl in the first place.

"It's quite alright," Ricky forced a smile. "The crew be me family nowadays."

Katarina cleared her voice. "Did you ever meet my father? Barbossa? I heard he was a part of the crew a few years back."

Ricky shook his head. "He was gone before I came aboard. But I've heard stories about him."

"What kind of stories?" Katarina pressed on.

"The worst kind," Ricky mused. "You may not want to hear them."

Katarina's eyes sparked with enthusiasm. She wasn't going to let a couple of haunting tales of pirates scare her off her quest.

Ricky shook his head but indulged her nonetheless.

"Captain Barbossa," the cabin boy began, "Was a name feared throughout the Caspian Sea and a good portion of the Spanish Main. Ruthless, he was, down to the bone. He gave piracy a new meaning."

Katarina listened intently as her newfound friend told her an impossible story about her father's plunder of many navy ships and several pirate ships, as well. He began the tale on a stormy night when merchant sailors were sailing across the Pacific, carrying gunpowder. On that ship was a precious pirate medallion. Not much was known about why the gold was there, how Barbossa knew, what happened to the gold: the only thing for certain is that the merchant ship was blown to smithereens leaving all but one dead. Even the one survivor claimed to tell thae tale of the infamous Barbossa like a plagued memory. When Ricky finished telling the tale, Katarina was shocked that she remained unfazed by such a cruel account of Barbossa.

"Captain, you say?" Katarina whispered.

"Aye," Ricky nodded. "He be the captain of the Black Pearl before Jack."

Katarina frowned. "My mother told me he was the first mate."

The cabin boy shrugged. "I'm just telling you what I heard, lass. Nothing more."

Before she could press the matter any further, Katarina was interrupted by another sailor.

"Ricky," a short man named Marty addressed the cabin boy. "Cap'n says your duties are done for today."

Ricky wore a satisfied grin. Katarina couldn't help but look at the cabin boy with respect; even on a pirate ship, he still had that spark of youth and innocence.

"M'lady," Ricky winked, offering his arm. "Would you care to escort me down to the lower decks?"

Katarina rolled her eyes at his over-exaggerated decorum but accepted. Ricky brought her down to the lower decks where the unemployed sailors were throwing a raucous. Splashes of rum skid across the air and the smell of unwashed grim was overwhelming. The entire scene played out like a plot in one of her stories, minus the repugnant odor. _So this is why there are so few woman pirates_, Katarina thought.

Ricky brought her over to a table of gamblers betting what seemed like the only things in their pockets. The cabin boy sat himself down next to another sailor who threw in a pendant that looked oddly like the sharp edge of a ship anchor. Katarina stood there, baffled.

"Liar's Dice," Ricky whispered to Katarina. "Pirate's game."

"How do you play?" Katarina asked, staring at the men shuffling their dice.

Ricky explained.

"Simple enough," she smirked, sliding herself down next to Ricky and a surprised crewman. "I want in."

The table grew silent. Katarina stared at them, daring the player to protest.

"Just because I'm a lady," the girl remarked, "Doesn't mean I can't swindle money out of the lot of you. Now are we going to play or not?"

Lejon handed Katarina five dice and a mottled cup. She lightly dusted off the moss growing from the side as she watched all the men toss in their bets. Each men's wager was less desirable than the last. The young woman could've sworn she saw someone throw in a pair of screws. Katarina dug out a few spare coins from her pocket and threw them in with the rest.

Mimicking their movement, Katarina picked up the cup and shook the dice inside. Before she had time to react, Gibbs exclaimed his bet.

"Two threes," he slurred, washing down another gulp of rum.

Lejon scoffed. "Three threes."

She turned to Ricky. He wore an expressionless look as he cast his bet.

"Three fours," Ricky declared, grabbing a flask of rum from Gibbs' hand.

The three players now pinned their eyes on Katarina. Her pulse quickened, hearing the loud thumping of her eardrums against the walls of her skull. She peeked at her set of dice. There were three threes in there along with two fives.

"Three fives," she gambled.

A look of surprise appeared on the players' face. The men looked uncertain. They couldn't tell if it was a bluff or the truth, but neither wanted to take the risk. Save for one.

"You're bluffing," Ricky smirked.

Katarina turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, lass," the cabin boy smiled. "You wanted to play."

The players revealed their dice. _Damn_, Katarina thought. Ricky was right. She had the only fives. The rest were a bunch of twos and threes and, alas, three fours, just as the cabin boy had bet. Without hesitation Ricky gathered his well-earned prizes, pocketing the coins that Katarina placed on the table.

"You can always sit the next one out if the game isn't to your liking," Ricky challenged with an immature smile on his face.

Katarina narrowed her eyes. "Not a chance."

The rest of the crew from the lower decks had dropped their empty bottles of rum and moved over to watch. Barbossa's daughter playing Liar's Dice? This they had to see. The players once again threw in their bets: Ricky counted out the coins that he won from the previous game and slid them to the center of the table. The girl stared at the coins as a resolute look flashed across her face.

"Your turn," Ricky grinned, sliding the coins to the center of the table.

Katarina only had one thing left to bet. She tore her dog-eared copy of _Robinson Crusoe_ and placed it next to Ricky's coins. _I'm going to show them what I can do_, the young girl thought.

The entire crew watched silently as Katarina shook her deck of dice in the palm of her hand. Ricky, equally as determined, shook his dice furiously while Gibbs and Lejon watched amused. Katarina stole a glance at the dice she cast.

"Four twos," Ricky bet.

"Three threes," Katarina retorted, giving the cabin boy a dirty look.

"Four threes," Gibbs added.

The game went on for a long. The rest of the crew sat edged in their seat while the players reached their highest and most risky bet yet. Katarina's palm grew sweaty from the anticipation, watching her prized book sitting on the rum-soaked table.

"Five sixes," Ricky grinned.

Katarina look another look at her dice and sighed.

"Seven sixes," she called.

The crew sucked in air, waiting for someone to call the bluff. _Risky bet_, Katarina mused. She shouldn't have done that, but plagued with her bruised ego and angry temperament, she hadn't a choice really, did she?

"Bluff," Ricky said once again.

The players revealed their dice. A few seconds of unbearable silence passed, each player counting the number of dice. _Four, five, six…_

The lower deck erupted into cheers; the drunken crew threw their hands up in their air in celebration. Katarina let out a huge smile, for sitting on the table was, in fact, seven sixes. A few of the sailors patted her on the back, congratulating her, while others raised their flasks of rum as a sign of respect.

"She's a bloody pirate, after all," some murmured.

Ricky sat there, shaking his head in amusement. "Not bad for a newcomer."

Katarina swiped the table clean of her prizes, pocketing her favorite story. Robinson Crusoe served her well once again.

"Another round, aye?" she grinned, tossing in several coins.


End file.
